Electric discharge lampholder

ABSTRACT

A HOLDER FOR RELEASABLY SECURING TERMINALS OF AN ELECTRIC DISCHARGE LAMP IN RELATION TO A SUPPORTING FRAME. A GENERALLY BOX-LIKE HOUSING, COMPRISING A BODY AND A COVER THEREFOR, ARRANGED INTERIORLY TO SUPPORT OPPOSED SPRING CLIP CONDUCTORS FORMING TERMINALS FOR CONTACT WITH LEAD WIRES OF AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT AND OPERATIVE TO RECEIVE AND HOLD TERMINALS OF SUCH A LAMP IN SAID CIRCUIT, IS DEMOUNTABLY MOUNTED ON AN ELONGATED GENERALLY PLATE-LIKE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH MEANS COMPLEMENTARY WITH MEANS ON THE BODY, AND THE COVER, TO LOCK THE COVER IN CLOSING POSITION ON THE BODY, AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO SUCH A FRAME.

Jan. GAYNOR ELECTRIC DISCHARGE L AMPHOLDER Filed Sept. 12. 1968 United States Patent 3,559,151 ELECTRIC DISCHARGE LAMPHOLDER Edwin G. Gaynor, Southport, Conn., assignor to Edwin S. Gaynor, Southport, Conn. Filed Sept. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 759,444 Int. Cl. H01r 33/08 US. Cl. 339-53 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A holder for releasably securing terminals of an electric discharge lamp in relation to a supporting frame. A generally box-like housing, comprising a body and a cover therefor, arranged interiorly to support opposed spring clip conductors forming terminals for contact with lead wires of an electric circuit and operative to receive and hold terminals of such a lamp in said circuit, is demountably mounted on an elongated generally plate-like member provided with means complementary with means on the body, and the cover, to lock the cover in closing position on the body, and adapted to'be secured to such a frame.

BACKGROUND. OF THE INVENTION My invention is a substantial improvement over the prior art in that it provides a simple, compact, eiiicient, durable and inexpensive holder of few parts, readily assembled and disassembled, mounted and demounted; a feature being the use of an elongated plate-like member serving a dual function in association with parts of the housing of locking the components of the holder together and providing a supporting connection with the lamp frame. The components of prior art structures generally are stapled, riveted or otherwise permanently secured together.

SUMMARY An assembly comprising opposed generally V-shape spring clip conductors forming terminals for receiving and holding terminals of an electric discharge lamp, a fluorescent type, and providing contact with lead wires of an electric circuit, and supported in a generally boxlike housing comprising a body and a detechable cover; the body having an inverted generally trapezoidal base slotted to receive an elongated portion of a plate-like bracket adapted to be secured to a frame for supporting such a lamp, and interiorly a cloverleaf-like embossment integral with the base and one body Wall, providing crotches for seating the conductors in operative position in relation to another body wall; means on the inner face of the cover and on the inner walls of the body cooperative "with portions of the spring clips to establish and maintain the latter in contact with lead wires and lamp terminals introduced through suitable openings in the body; and complementary means on the cover and the bracket operative releasably to effect and maintain closure of the housing and to lock the housing on the bracket; thereby to provide an operative holder.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof and the accompany drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the holder of my invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the holder uncovered;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inner face of the cover;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the body of the holder;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view at 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view at 6--6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view at 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a spring clip conductor forming a part of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a bracket forming a part of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of components of the invention.

The electric discharge larnpholder 11 illustrated in the drawings is designed to removably receive the customary dual tubular terminals of a fluorescent lamp and hold them in operative relation with the usual frame or supporting structure. Accordingly the holder 11 is arranged as a readily demountable assembly comprising a generally box-like housing 12. This is mounted in a manner to be explained on an elongated plate-like bracket 13 having a bore 13a adjacent its outer end to receive suitable means for removably securing the bracket to such a frame (not shown).

Housing 12 comprises a body 14 and a removable, wafer-like cover 15 preferably of molded, nonconductive plastic. Generally rectangular in form, body 14 is arranged interiorly, in cooperation with cover 15, to receive lead wires 16 of an electric circuit for contact with spring clip conductors 17 engageable with lamp terminals 18.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 body 14 has a generally inverted-trapezoidal base 19 provided with rectangular slot 20 for receiving bracket 13 in sliding relation longitudinally thereof. Forward wall 21 of body 14, having an inner face 21a, and peripherally rounded at 21b, has a cutaway 21c for receiving lamp terminals 18. Rearwardly extending enveloping side wall 22, correspondingly rounded at 22a, has a cutaway 22c communicating with cutaway 210 to facilitate insertion of the terminals 18 therein.

An embossment of generally cloverleaf shape as viewed in FIG. 4, formed integrally with base 19 and the inner face 21a of wall 21, and extending axially thereof, and having a terminal portion 23a contiguous with cutaway 21c, is arranged to provide a support 23 for conductors 17. Crotches 23b of this support are arranged correspondingly with reverse curvature 17a of the conductors 17 (see FIG. 2) to seat them.

Outwardly flaring walls 230 of support 23 are arranged in cooperative relation with cutaways 19a of base 19 to receive lead wires 16 for connection with conductors 17.

The inner face of wall 22 has cuta-ways 22d to accommodate rim portions of the inner face 15a of cover .15 in snugly fitting relation. The inner face 23d of support 23 is arranged'correspondingly with cutaways 22d to abut the inner face of cover 15 when it is in closing position. Thickened portions 22 22g of wall 22 are arranged to provide transverse ledges 22i, 2211, respectively, for cooperation with opposing end portions 17b, of conductors 17.

Nubs 25 on the inner face of wall 21 and nubs 26 on the inner face of cover 15 are correspondingly arranged in angular spaced relation for cooperation with crotches 23b, and with conductors 17 seated therein, to maintain the latter in operative position, the cover being in closing position.

Bracket 13 has a reduced portion forming a neck 13b and is conformed and arranged in relation to base .19, and slot 20 and support 23, to cooperate with complementary cutaway means 15b on cover 15 to perform the dual function of locking the latter in closing relation with body 14 and locking the housing 12 on the bracket and hence the frame. Reverse curvature of bracket 13 provides a stop 13c arranged for cooperative relation with recess 19b of base 19.

Notches 17d on conductors 17 are arranged in association with rims 23a of support 23 and ledges 22h to grip lead wires introduced through cutaways 19a, thereby to provide an operative connection.

Conductors 17 are conformed and arranged to function in relation to one another so that when seated in crotches 23b in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 10, they will be under pressure in relation to support 23 and ledges 22i, sustained in seated position. Reverse curvature 17a transversely of the conductors is arranged to facilitate spring clipping action for holding terminals 18 in operative position when introduced through cutaway 210.

Summarizing the assembly of my invention, spring clip conductors 17 are seated in opposing relation in crotches 23b with notched end portions 17b in predetermined spaced relation with ledges 22k and end portions 170 abutting ledges 221'; body 14, with conductors 17 in place, is positioned on bracket .13 by sliding the latter into slot 20 to a point where stop 13c abuts base 19 and neck 13b is disposed rearwardly of forward wall 21 and face 23d of support 23 in position for operative engagement with complementary portions of cover 15, enabled by cutaway 15b thereof, when applied to body 14; the cover being applied by first fitting cutaway 1512 upon neck 13b and then rotating the cover into closing position, with the previously designated portions of its inner face abutting the corresponding surfaces of wall 22 and support 23, the cover and associated parts of the body and bracket being conformed and arranged to provide a snug closure; closure having been effected and the components of the holder secured together, lead wires 16 may be introduced through cutaways 19a into contact with notched end portions 17b and hence operative connection with conductors 17; terminals 18 of a lamp to be energized pressed into contact with the conductors will be held in operative connection by the spring action thereof. Displacement of cover 15 and disassembly of the holder may be effected by first manually applying pressure to the upper portion of the inner face of the cover thereby forcing the cover outwardly from the body and enabling its removal and disassembly of the remaining parts of the holder.

It will be understood that changes of form and structure including reversal of parts, substitution of equivalents, and other modifications, may be made without departing from the spirit, substance and scope of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. An electric discharge lampholder comprising:

(a) a generally box-like nonconductive housing including:

d (l) a body having a base with spaced cutaways for receiving lead wires of an electric circuit, side walls enveloping said base, and an end wall abutting said side walls and said base, and means on said base cooperative with a support for said housing and comprising a slot extending through said base in one direction and in parallel spaced relation with the bottom thereof, (2) and a detachable cover having means thereon including midway of one edge thereof a generally rectangular cutaway portion cooperative with means for securing said cover in closing position on said body, 3) means on said side walls for seating said cover in snugly fitting closing relation with said body, (4) conductor support means on the inner face of said end wall and surmounting said base, (5) corresponding, angularly disposed stops on the inner faces of said end wall and said cover operative when said cover is in closing position on said body in association with said last means to restrict relative movement of conductors supported on said conductor support means,

(6) stops on the inner faces of said side walls for limiting relative movement of conductors supported on said conductor support means,

(b) generally V-shape spring clip conductors correspondingly supported on said last means in opposed spaced relation with one another and having one end portion disposed in spaced relation with the cutaways of the base and an opposite end portion disposed in abutting relation with an inner surface of said side walls, said conductors having opposed transverse reversely curved portions conformed and arranged cooperatively to receive and hold terminals of an electric discharge lamp in spring-pressed contact relation, and

(c) a support for said housing comprising:

(1) means cooperative with means on said base for mounting said holder,

(2) means arranged in spaced relation with said last means and cooperative with said means on said cover to position and secure said cover in closing position relative to the body and comprising an elongated generally plate-like member slidable in said slot and having a neck arranged to project inwardly of said body and receivable in the cutaway portion of cover,

(3) stop means comprising a reversely curved portion of said member cooperative with corresponding means on the base to limit sliding of the member in one direction in relation to the base whereby to position the neck of the member for cooperation with said means on said cover,

the parts being so conformed and operative that upon the cutaway portion of the cover being arranged upon the neck of the mounting plate in a first position of operation, the cover is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said neck to a second position of operation closing the body and releasably securing the components of the holder in operative relation.

2. An electric discharge lampholder comprising: (a) a generally box-like nonconductive housing including:

(1) a body having a base with spaced cutaways for receiving lead wires of an electric circuit, side walls enveloping said base, and an end wall abutting said side walls and said base, and means on said base cooperative with a support for said housing and comprising a slot extending through said base in one direction and in parallel spaced relation with the bottom thereof,

(2) and a detachable cover having means thereon including midway of one edge thereof a generally rectangular cutaway portion cooperative with means for securing said cover in closing position on said body,

(3) means on said side walls for seating said cover in snugly fitting closing relation with said body,

(4) conductor support means on the inner face of said end wall and surmounting said base, said conductor support means comprising:

(i) a generally cloverleaf structure having opposed angularly disposed crotches arranged correspondingly to support the conductors in relation to the lead Wires and the terminals and in association with the stops on the end wall and the cover to restrict relative movement of the conductors, and

(ii) opposed rims crotches,

(5) corresponding, angularly disposed stops on the inner faces of said end wall and said cover operative when said cover is in closing position on said body in association with said last associated with said said cover to position and secure said cover in closing position relative to the body and comprising an elongated generally plate-like member slidable in said slot and having a neck arranged to project inwardly of said body and receivable in the cutaway portion of the cover,

the parts being conformed and operative that upon means to restrict relative movement of conductors supported on said conductor support means,

(6) stops on the inner faces of said side walls for limiting relative movement of conductors supported on said conductor support means,

(b) generally V-shape spring clip conductors correspondingly supported on said last means in opposed spaced relation with one another and having one end portion disposed in spaced relation with the cutaways of the base and an opposite end portion disposed in abutting relation with an inner surface of said side walls, said conductors having opposed transverse reversely curved portions conformed and arranged cooperatively to receive and hold terminals of an electric discharge lamp in spring-pressed contact relation, said one end portion of said V-shape conductors and said stops on the inner faces of References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,407,567 9/1946 McCarthy 339-53 said side walls being arranged in cooperative relation 3 206 710 9/1965 McLaughlin with said rims whereby to grip lead wires of an elec- 2O 3245026 4/1966 Pistey 339 55 tric circuit in contact relation with said conductors,

and MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner (c) a support for said housing comprising: r

(1) means cooperative with means on said base MCGLYNN Asslstant Exammer US. Cl. X.R,

for mounting said holder, 25 (2) means arranged in spaced relation with said last means and cooperative with said means on 339 

